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‘Avoid coloured sweets’: Health department cautions Ludhiana locals as Diwali draws near
The local health department has been conducting regular inspections at sweet shops in Ludhiana in this month during which quintals of sweets, bakery and dairy products have been destroyed or seized
Health officials have asked people to exercise caution while buying sweets during the festive season due to a surge in the cases of adulteration in food items.
“Though we are regularly inspecting sweet shops and other manufacturing units to check for adulteration, there are a few things that people can also bear in mind while shopping,” said district health officer (DHO) Amarjeet Kaur.
She asked to avoid colourful sweets completely or make sure the manufacturer uses Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved colours.
“Colours barely have any importance. They just add to the look of the product. Some manufacturers use colours that can be harmful for us. So, it is very important to ensure that the colours used are FDA approved,” she added.
The local health department has been conducting regular inspections at sweet shops this month during which quintals of sweets, bakery and dairy products have been destroyed or seized. According to Kaur, over 100 samples have been picked.
One of the issues the health officials discovered during the inspections was the use of harmful aluminium foil instead of silver foil as covering on sweets.
The DHO provided a method to check the foil covering on the spot by rubbing it between fingers.
“Take a piece of foil between your fingers and rub it. If it disappears, it is silver foil, and if it turns into a ball, it is aluminium foil,” she explained.
She also recommended buying covered items after checking the hygiene quality of the shops to ensure the items are not contaminated by pollution and flies.
“People can report the issues to us and we will take action on time,” she added.
